Parallel Lives
by MissDevon
Summary: In '68 Bo, Rex and Gigi learn that history was changed and loved ones lives are in danger. Tess has Natalie locked away. John is shot. Another portal is openned to a world that is dif. from anything they know. Can things be fixed before too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Parallel Lives**

Natalie was trying to stay strong.  
Trying to stay awake.

Only it was getting harder and harder, even harder than when she had been in that pit years ago.

Maybe, she supposed as she turned over onto her side and stared at the wall, it was because back then she had known someone would be looking for her and wouldn't give up till they had found her.

This time, well, it was different.

Maybe Tess was right.

Maybe all they would ever find where her skeletal remains years from now if they ever torn down this mausoleum of a house.

Or maybe someone would just stumble upon her when it was too late.

God, she hoped it wasn't her mother.

That and the hope that somehow Jessica would overtake her alter and somehow remember she had locked her down here where all the hope she could hold onto as she slipped into a troubled slumber. . .

* * *

John held his gun on the man in front of him, trying to come to terms with all the accusations that were being thrown around.  
From Tina to Talia to Antonio to Jonas.  
He was the acting Commissioner and he needed to be able to handle this.  
But for some reason, he couldn't concentrate.  
His aim faltered for a second and that was all it took.

He felt the pain cut through him as he staggered back.

Heard the next shot.

And in his mind's eye all he could see were the things he had lost. . .

Once more he saw a dream family, only this time she was waiting for him as he felt himself slip into the light.

* * *

"What the hell are you talking about, Balsom? You think that we're not the first ones to slip back in time?" Bo demanded angrily.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" Rex demanded.

Gigi looked from one man to the other and then exhaled sharply: "So if you're not who is? And Bo, what does it have to do with that guy isn't buying that you're Asa and we're. . ."

Bo shook his head as he started to pace: "you two wouldn't know him. I did. Years ago. . . He was my father-in-law."

"Wow. . ." Gigi muttered.

"Which time?" Rex asked, causing Bo to spin and glare at him. "What? I think it's a valid question. I mean, it might help us figure out what he's changed or is changing so we can fix it."

"I didn't change anything," the man in the door said quietly. "I came back to do just that. To fix things. . . make things right. I never figured on encountering you here, Bo. Or your little friends."

Gigi gulped as she looked up wide eyed at Rex, who put his hand on her shoulder, while Bo stared at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? And who are you supposed to be? The wicked witch?"

"Balsom," Gigi sighed. "What would that make you? The Scarecrow?"

The man laughed slightly as Bo shook his head: "Roger, what is going on? What do you mean you're here to 'fix' things?"

Roger Gordon sighed as he moved further into the room and closed the door behind him: "I don't need to get locked up again. Not for this."

"You've been locked up? Here? Great, Bo. A convicted criminal to help us!" Rex complained.

"My. . . record isn't in this time frame," Roger said stiffly. "I tried to stop things before. Ended up in a padded room."

Bo nodded: "can't say I'm surprised. I keep telling Balsom here that he needs to tone it down before. . . How in damnation did you end up here?"

"Playing at being Asa too long or are you morphing into him?" Roger asked concerned. "You stay too long, with the real person who's life you've overtaken not in the. . . you become them," Roger warned.

"How do you know all this?" Gigi asked. "The professor doesn't."

Roger shrugged: "my father. He wasn't the most. . . stable of men, but he was something of a genius. Aside from building an underground city. . ."

"An underground city? You have got to be kidding me!" Rex scoffed.

"It was named Eterna," Bo cut in. "And it existed. A few people got trapped there a few years back."

"And where is it? Oz?"

"Llantano Mountain. We had the entrance demolished to make sure no one else would get stuck down there once everyone got up. . ."

"But it wasn't enough to protect your family from its reach, was it Bo?" Roger asked as he took a seat on a nearby couch. "Your niece was trapped in one of the escape hatches."

"The pit," Bo exhaled tiredly. "Damn, knew I was missing something when we were investigating. . ." he continued angrily.

"You would have had to have the right plans to find it," Roger cut in. "Look, we don't have a lot of time here."

"I still don't understand how come you came to 'change' things back," Gigi sighed. "I mean, that would mean someone else had to have changed things at some other point in time."

"He did," Roger said sliding towards the end of the couch. "My father's doctor. A young up and coming man of science who got into his head and used his research to change history. To make a different life for himself.

Only it didn't quite turn out how he expected.

He came back a few other times from what I can tell.

Interfered with people finding out certain truths.

Surviving injuries.

Being with the people they were supposed to be.

I promised myself that I would find a way to stop it from happening this time. . . only somehow you are here and. . . if you do things to ensure history as you know it you will be condemning the people you love to great loses."

"Great, more doom and gloom," Rex muttered.

"Who was this guy anyway?" Gigi muttered.

Bo shook his head: "not hard to guess. Spencer Truman."

"So he changes history and what? We're not supposed to mess with it. People who are alive won't be."

"At least not as you knew them in your reality," Roger sighed. "It's a complicated balance."

"But it's worth the chance to make things right, right?" Gigi wondered. "I mean, I know some people would die, but. . ."

"It's not about people dying, young lady. But them living instead. . . children who should've been born but weren't in your world.

Couples who had bright futures but had them stolen from them.

Families who are incomplete."

"And what about couples who are together? How would this affect them?" Rex wondered worriedly. "You change history, you mess with people who are-- who were born-- not being born.

People who love each. . ."

"The children who were meant to be will still be.  
The people who were supposed to be together will be.  
True love always finds away, even when it's been deferred. . ."

Bo exhaled sharply: "I'm not going into how changing things would. . . damnit! If things have already been changed. . . Going through the portal. . . Ugh! I feel like I'm trapped in a bad Star Trek episode!" he admitted. "But I can guess what he changed. He tried to make himself a Buchanan and it didn't work. Then he decided to make it David. . ."

"So what? We need to make sure David is conceived, just not via a Buchanan, right?" Gigi asked. "I'm sure I can convince Emma to. .. to fall quickly for someone. . .Maybe even a guy who will treat her right.  
That way those two boys might not turn out so bad."

"We'd be returning to a world we had no clue how to function in," Rex reminded.

"You'll catch on quickly," Roger told him. "You're memories of the other reality will fade in time.

For you and anyone else who slides into it via a portal."

"What does that mean?"

"There's two people who aren't living in their right world. Who Spencer grabbed from their reality to destroy them."

"Who?" Gigi asked.

"I can't tell you that. Can't tell you exactly when he did it. But I can tell you that if you don't do this they will die in both realities. And there's a third person who was moved from your reality to another. . . we don't fix it, he'll fade away completely."

Rex, Gigi, and Bo shared concerned looks: "Ok, what do you think we have to do and how do we do it?" Bo demanded. "Because I'll be damned if I let Spencer get away with costing my family anyone else we love. . ."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Antonio sat with an arm wrapped around Talia's shoulders, holding her close to his side as Blair descended on them in the hospital waiting room demanding answers about John and how they could allow him to be hurt.

"God, are you still flying around town on your broom?" Tina wondered as she sauntered towards the couple and the screeching woman. "I thought for sure that by now you would've been run out on a pole."

Flipping her hair back, Blair turned on the older woman: "at least I don't dance on them," she retorted, feeling superior and thinking the retort was funny.

"No, you just take money for sex," Tina shot back. "Maybe not directly, but any other way you can get it. Surprised my brother put up with you so long."

Blair blew out her breath: "why are you here, Tina? I have a reason for being here. John and I have something that's. . . _special."_

"I think I'm going to be sick," Talia muttered as she pushed out of Antonio's hold and headed towards the bathroom.

"Booty calls aren't something special," Antonio couldn't help but remark. "Don't think anyone thought you were more than that other than you," he continued. "John loves one woman and you're not her."

"Marty's dead."

"Never said that was the woman he loved," Antonio responded evenly. "In fact, I know she wasn't. But, she was someone he could talk to. Someone he could be with. A friend. So, I guess in that case, she was more than you to him.  
But you see the thing about John is he doesn't know how to turn a woman down easily."

"He said no enough times to Natalie," Blair responded hatefully.

"And how many times has my brother said no to you?" Tina wondered. "God, you really do give new meaning to dumb blonde don't you? You love someone so much sometimes the only way to deal is pushing them away.  
But since you don't know about love. . ." Tina shrugged as she slid onto a chair.

"You're not wanted here Tina."

"And neither are you, Blair," Marci said from a doorway. "Do you think with everything going on that Michael needs to have the Mannings in his face right now?"

"You don't mind our being in your faces when you're talking about taking my grandchild."

Marci straightened as tall as she could and glared at the other woman: "people like you and Todd shouldn't get to have kids. You think you're all so high and mighty. That you can convince Star to do whatever you want.  
Don't think I don't know that you'll go and try to talk her out of giving Mike and me her baby because I'm standing up to you right now.  
But the truth is, you're no better than Todd.

You drop by with your sob stories to cry on John's shoulder and you shove my nose in the fact that you have Sam.  
You married Todd to get him away from me and Mike and then when you could you stole him from Todd because you could.  
Because you wanted to hurt him the same way he hurt you time and time again.

Well, you're not going to hurt me.

Not anymore than you already have.

So leave.  
Leave before Mike shows up.  
Before I have security throws you out.

Because there's only one woman besides his mother who should be here for John right now and you sure as hell aren't her."

"Newsflash, Marci, no one's seen Natalie in weeks. No one, not even John, cares about what happened to her.  
Frankly, I wouldn't care if she went out and got herself killed. It certainly would make a lot of people around here a hell of a lot happier."

"Mom!" Star yelled from the doorway. "I don't believe. . ."

"Star, honey. You don't understand. She provoked me."

"Mrs. McBain provoked you to say that you wished Natalie was _dead?_ Jesus, Mom, I haven't been exactly close to her in ages because of Cole, but. . . and you call Dad heartless?" the teenager asked before turning around and running off in tears.

"Now see what you've done?" Blair asked annoyed before she flounced out after her daughter.

"Well, that's one way of getting rid of her," Tina remarked.

"Natalie really hasn't been seen for weeks?" Antonio asked Tina.

"Well, not exactly," Tina demurred uncomfortably.

"Tina. . ."

"Let's just say, that Jess is a lot like Vickie in all their forms."

Antonio frowned at that: "what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing and everything. I'm sure you'll figure it out. I'll just be going. . ." Tina started nervously as she rose and hurried towards the door.

"Tess is back isn't she? And she did something to Natalie and you know what," he called after her.

Tina turned around: "you're good detective."

"Why the hell. . ."

"She made threats. Very. . . Nikki Smith of her. I had to protect Sara and. . ." Tina shook her head. "There's a new secret room in the basement. Come by later. I'll make sure there's some sort of distraction. . ."

"Tina, you had better hope it's not too late for her. . ."

"I do. I mean, she is my niece after all, isn't she?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Natalie turned over and struggled to open her eyes. Staring at the ceiling she tried to get her bearings.  
She wasn't in the room any more, she knew that immediately.  
Eyes shifting from side to side, she quickly realized that she was in the hospital.

Exhaling, she closed her eyes in relief.

Someone had found her.

She was safe now.

Trying to pull herself up on the bed, she realized that something was wrong.  
It was hard to move.  
At least harder than it should be.

"You're just not up to full strength," she muttered to herself as she shifted again, only this time she felt something.

Gasping, she reached towards the quick pain in her stomach and realized that it wasn't flat anymore.

Eyes widening, she looked down at her distended stomach and tried to make sense of it as the door opened. Scared now, she looked up and locked eyes with Michael: "Natalie glad to see you're awake. . ." he started as he came in and went to grab her chart. "Nat, you ok?"

"No. . . something's wrong. . ." she managed to get out.

"More contractions?" Michael asked concerned as he put a hand over her stomach. "They said they got them to stop last night. . ."

"I don't. . ." she admitted as she sank back onto the bed while he looked at a readout.

"Natalie, I know you're worried. Scared. John going and getting himself shot didn't help."

"John. . ." she gasped trying to push herself into a sitting position again.

"No you don't. You staying by his bedside 24-7 is what got you in a bed of your own," Michael admonished as he put his hands on her shoulders and applied gentle pressure to get her to lie back down. "Now, I promised him when they took you out of there that I would make sure you and babies McBain would be ok. You don't want me to break that promise do you?"

"I. . . I. ... nothing's making sense to me, Michael. . ." she admitted as a voice in her head screamed _babies McBain_ at her. There was no way this could be happening. And why was it that even in her dreams things weren't easy for her and John?

"It's the sleep deprivation and medication, Natalie," Michael sighed as he sat on stool near the bed. "Now, your Mom and Dad are flying in from London. My Mom will be in to sit with you soon."

"But. . . John. . .he um, he shouldn't be alone. She should stay with him."

"Once my Dad gets off his shift. . ."

"_Your Dad?!"_ Natalie couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, Natalie. Tomas McBain. Police Chief," Michael tried to laugh off, then frowned: "man, you really are out of it, aren't you?"

Lifting up her left hand she rubbed her forehead, feeling the metal against it, she moved her hand down so that she could look at it, frowning slightly at the ring she saw there and that just seemed wrong somehow: "Natalie?"

"I just woke up, Mike. . . I. . . I guess. . . I must have been dreaming and. . .that's why I'm so confused. I'll get things straight. . ."

"Yeah. Of course. That's it. Listen, your uncle said that John's going to be ok. He's handling the case himself. You know he won't let anything happen to him, right?" Michael tried to reassure as he squeezed her hand.

"My uncle?" Natalie asked confused. "I . . ."

"Ben, Natalie. . . listen. I'm going to go and. . . I don't want to scare you, but I think you might be having some sort of reaction to the drugs they gave you," he started as he pushed to stand up.

"Let it be, Michael," Ben said from the doorway. "I sat with her most of last night. She had some strange dreams. Just. . . just give her a little time to get her mind back in this reality."

"You sure, Doctor Davidson?" Michael wondered.

"Yeah. I'm sure. You think if I weren't I wouldn't have ordered those tests myself? Blondie would skin me alive if I let anything happen to Red here," he said as he continued into the room, noting the tears in Natalie's eyes. "Listen, why don't you go tell your Mom I said for her to go on home. I'll stay here with Natalie."

"But you were here all night and. . ."

"So was your mother," Ben replied. "I'm used to the sleep depravation. She's not."

"You think she doesn't stay up half the night waiting for Dad? Ever since that Christmas we almost lost him. . ." Mike shook his head. "But I'll tell her. Can't promise you it will do anything," he added with a shrug as he leaned down and kissed Natalie on the cheek. "I'll come back to see you later."

"I'd like that."

"You're sure. . ."

"She'll be fine." Ben told him. "Now go on so she and I can talk and she can get her head on straight."

Nodding, Mike slowly made his way to the door, pausing to look back and give Natalie a reassuring smile before leaving.

Once he was out the door, Natalie couldn't hold her tears back any more and Ben sat on the edge of the bed and took her into his arms for a comforting hug. Inhaling his cologne, Natalie clung to him. "Are dreams really the answer for this? For why this all seems wrong somehow? Why I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole?"

"No, honey, they're not," Ben admitted as he released her.

"This isn't real, is it?" she asked. "I mean, you being here. . . me being with John. . .me being pregnant by him. . . married. . . all of it. . . that's the dream, right?"

"No, Red," Ben said softly. "I know this is confusing. It was for me too. But now, I know why I knew that things weren't. . . weren't right.  
It was so that I would be able to help you."

"I don't understand."

"You didn't fall down a rabbit hole. You came through a portal."

"What?"

"This isn't the reality-- the life-- you're used to. From what a man, an old friend of your mother's, explained to me, this is a parallel life."

"I don't. . . are you. . . I'm not in my life but another my life?" Natalie asked.

"Pretty much."

"I thought they couldn't give drugs like this to pregnant women. . . then again..." Natalie exhaled in disbelief.

"Someone took you and John from this reality at some point and put you in the one you were living in."

"Then how am I pregnant with his child and how are we here?"

"Other versions of you. Versions who knew what they wanted and wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in their way.  
Who learnt from mistakes."

Natalie swallowed: "I want to see him."

"He has some things to get his mind wrapped around before than, besides, you need to know how things here are different than in. . . in your world."

"You going to bring me up to speed?"

Ben grinned: "unless you want to continue walking around in this fog of confusion and scaring everyone."

"Just. . . promise me that you'll be here for. . . to help us through?" she asked, squeezing his hand for reassurance.

"Of course honey."

Natalie nodded and then looked down and back up at him: "you said mom and dad were flying in together from London. . . does that mean that they. . .you and her?"

"Your Mom and I are together. She went to London because Kelly and Kevin just had a little girl."

"But he can't. . ."

"Here, he can," he told her with a smile.

"So Duke wasn't killed in a tornado while he and Kelly were. . ."

"Duke was killed in a tornado while he was with Adrianna Crammer."

"OK. . . what about. . . is this their only?"

"They have Ace-- a baby they adopted," he said softly, "although it was more complicated than that."

"The Chandlers?"

"Yeah. And Kelly's brother. She didn't know he had stolen the baby. The judge sided with her and your brother. . .anyway, not long after she found out she was pregnant with Zane."

"And he's Kevin's?"

"Yeah."

"And now this little girl?" Natalie asked. "What's her name?"

"Jessilyn."

"For Jess. . why? Is she. . ."

"Yes, honey. Jessica died when her body rejected a liver transplant. Her husband, Nash, took off. You and John are raising her daughter, Bree, together. Antonio Vega helps because he was married to Jess when she was born and you didn't want to cut him and Jamie out of her life the way Jess did after their divorce. He's John's best friend and partner on the force. You two just stood up for him and his new wife, Talia."

Natalie exhaled sharply: "Jessica's dead and Talia and I are friends? I'm raising Bree?"

"Yes."

"I don't know if I really want to know more."

"Know more about what?" a voice from the door asked.

Looking up, Natalie was shocked to see the man standing there: "_Al?!"_

"Umm, yeah. Hey, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Al asked. "I mean I know it's been a while since I came up from NY for a visit, but as soon as Mom told me that you were in the hospital and. . . hey, what's wrong?"

"Natty's been having some bad dreams," Ben started evenly. "She's a little confused right now."

"Man, with everything that happened to you and John and I'm not sure that I'm surprised."

"Al," Ben said sharply.

"Right. Shouldn't have brought that up," he said shifting from foot to foot. "So... well, I ran into Marci. . . she and I were even civil. First time sense the divorce. Guess her being with your brother-in-law is good for something. At least personality wise."

"Oh, Al," Natalie sighed with a shake of her head.

"Hey, none of that. It wasn't like any of the mess was your fault," he shrugged. "I'm actually almost over her. Girl at my firm I'm thinking of taking out, not that you want to hear all of this. . .Look, if you're not up to visitors. . . I'll come back later, ok?"

"Promise?" she asked reaching for his hand.

"Yeah, kiddo, I promise. In the meantime, I think I'll go harass CJ over at BE. Maybe even drop in on Sara," he added with a smirk.

"Don't cause trouble," Natalie chided.

"Now where would the fun be in that, McBain?" Al laughed as he went over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad you're ok."

"Glad you are too."

Al frowned slightly: "Man, you really are out of it if you're happy to see me and not busting my balls," he said with a forced laughed.

"Blame it on the hormones. Amazing who I'm happy to be around these days," she shot back.

"I'll be back," he promised in a bad Arnold impersonation.

Laughing, Natalie watched him go. "So Al's alive... and did he say, his mom?"

"Al survived the transplant. Gabrielle wasn't attacked that night. Nora was."

"So Nora's. . ."

"Dead."

Natalie shook her head: "you know a part of me wants to say good riddance, but that wouldn't be very nice now would it?"

Ben shook his head at her: "a lot of people do still miss her."

"Uncle Bo one of them?"

"Gabrielle helped him get pass it. They hit a rough patch and broke up for a while because Matthew blamed her. Thought it should've been her instead of his Mom."

"I'm not surprised. He needed someone to blame. . ."

"Bo dated a woman named Paige for a while. She added to the length of the breakup by manipulating him."

"Gee, color me surprised."

"But he and Gabrielle got married a little over a year ago," Ben told her seriously. "They're pretty happy together."

"Good. I'm glad Uncle Bo has someone," Natalie replied, then exhaled sharply at the pressure she felt. Ben laughed. "What?"

"You're going to have to get used to those kicks quick. You shouldn't be reacting like you are to them."

"I, apparently, almost went into preterm labor. Can't we say I'm overreacting because I'm afraid for the time being?" she asked logically.

"I guess we can try," Ben agreed lapsing them into silence.

After a few moments, Natalie looked at Ben: "I know there's a lot more I have to know. . . but, Al said something about something happening to me and John. . ."

"We'll explain that to you two later, I promise. Now, who else do you want to know about?"

Natalie shook her head: "OK, what about Grandpa Asa. . .?"

"Asa's still Asa. . ."


End file.
